Taped from Dallas, TX
Airdate: October 10, 1987 (taped 10/02)
Attendance: unknown
Hosted by Marc Lowrance
Can Steamboat upset the World champion? Or will Perez figure out a way to victory? How will Sheik fare this week? What’s on Hart’s mind? And what do Fritz, Kerry, and Kevin share with us in preparation for the Cotton Bowl spectacular?
Opening montage.
Match 1: The Spoiler versus Billy Burt
Highlights:
- Spoiler mounted the top turnbuckle and fed Burt a top rope shoulder smash.
- When Spoiler hip-tossed him, Burt nailed him WAY DOWNTOWN.
- During the match, Vince Apollo sat at the timekeeper’s table and took notes for God-knows-what reason.
- Spoiler mounted the second turnbuckle and clobbered Burt.
- As Burt gave Spoiler a cross corner whip, he ate knee on his follow-through.
- Spoiler mounted the top turnbuckle and steamrolled Burt.
- 1-2-3.
- Spoiler won at 4:43.
Rating: *
Summary: Slow-plodding match despite Spoiler’s aerial ability.
Prior to the next match, Sheik requested to sing the Iranian national anthem to a bunch of empty seats. Nevertheless, the folks dressed as empty seats booed him out of Will Rogers Coliseum.
Match 2: Iron Sheik (w/o Gary Hart) versus Manuel Villalobos
Highlights:
- This match occurred in Fort Worth on 9/28.
- As he ambushed Villalobos, Sheik backdropped him.
- He fed Villalobos a standing gutwrench suplex and followed with a gutbuster.
- When he clotheslined Villalobos, Sheik dealt him a belly-to-belly suplex.
- Like the first match, Apollo sat at the timekeeper’s table trying to remain relevant.
- Sheik pulled up Villalobos at 1 and hooked a release German suplex.
- After he applied a camel clutch, Sheik won at 2:12.
Rating: *
Summary: Showcase match for Sheik who’s the 80s version of the human suplex machine.
After the match, Sheik drapes the Iranian flag across the fallen body of Villalobos. Suddenly, “Maniac” Matt Borne storms the ring, but Sheik flees like he owes Borne money. Borne grabs the microphone and challenges him to a match at the Cotton Bowl.
THE HART ATTACK: Gary Hart touts Perez as footage of his match against Borne is shown. Following that, we see Perez slaughter Villalobos with a helicopter slam. Next, we revisit his match against Kevin in Mesquite. According to Hart, you must “LEARN TO LIKE IT.” But is it the best thing going today?
Match 3 (non-title): WCWA World champion Al Perez (w/ Vince Apollo) versus Vic Steamboat
Highlights:
- Perez gave Steamboat a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- When Steamboat rolled Perez up, he got 2.
- Perez missed a knee drop, and Lowrance promised that Perez-Kevin at the Cotton Bowl would become a modern-day classic. I heard that about HBK-Perfect in ’93 too.
- As Steamboat fed him an atomic drop, he gave Perez a cross corner whip but came up empty on his follow-through.
- Perez attempted some chicanery with a rope-assisted arm bar, but referee Bronko Lubich shut that shit down promptly.
- After he slammed Steamboat, Perez connected with an elbow drop for 2.
- Steamboat reversed an Irish whip and landed a thrust kick.
- While he gave Perez another cross corner whip, Steamboat backdropped him.
- The Dallas faithful chanted “go, Vic, go,” and their hero leapfrogged Perez.
- Hooking a backslide, Steamboat got 2.
- He trapped Perez with an inside cradle for another 2.
- Using momentum and possibly the tights, Perez caused Steamboat to clothesline himself on the ropes.
- Attempting to suplex him back into the ring, Perez lost his balance, and Steamboat landed on top.
- Do we have an upset?
- 1-2-NO!
- Steamboat attempted an O’Connor roll, but Perez blocked it, hooked the second rope, and pinned him at 8:14.
Rating: **
Summary: Perez brought Steamboat up to his level before cheating to win.
To join the Von Erich Fan Club, send a postcard to:
Von Erich Fan Club
Post Office Box 57589
Dallas, TX 75207
Ring announcer Ralph Pulley interviews the NEW WCWA Light Heavyweight champion Eric Embry who cuts a promo on Shaun Simpson. Speaking of whom, Shaun arrives to brawl with Embry at ringside. Although the Dallas faithful goes APESHIT, Embry hightails it so he won’t either ruin his classy duds or eat another KO.
FRITZ’S SCRAPBOOK: We revisit the Simpsons’ victory to achieve the World tag team titles, and Fritz touts Shaun’s style. With Steve giving Shaun a workout in the ring, Fritz continues to hail the youngster as a future prospect.
With his granddaughter on his lap, Fritz sits beside Kevin and Kerry and introduces some great Von Erich highlights. First, we see glimpses of Fritz’s retirement match against King Kong Bundy back in ’82. Second, highlights of Kerry’s victory over Ric Flair for the NWA World title from ’84 are shown. Kerry describes the power of the people that enabled him to win.
Third, Kevin details the COLD-ASS day last year at the Cotton Bowl when he challenged for the WCWA World title. Highlights of his match against Black Bart are telecast. Afterward, he’s eliciting support from the Dallas faithful to help him regain the World title at the Cotton Bowl.
The Cotton Bowl Spectacular begins at 2pm on 10/17. Get your tickets NOW!
During the month of November, WCWA comes to you LIVE in the following cities:
- Birmingham, AL (11/7)
- San Antonio, TX (11/11)
- Miami, FL (11/21)
- Houston, TX (didn’t happen)
- Oklahoma City, OK (didn’t happen)
Conclusion: It’s the go-home show for the Cotton Bowl, so Lowrance and company do everything they can to generate interest and spectators. While the World champion looks strong, Sheik encounters an ornery Borne leading to an upcoming match. The Von Erich craze accompanied by the Simpson brothers hysteria gets hyped for the benefit of those who prefer the smiling young babyfaces.
Next week, Kevin battles Adias while Shaun scraps with Cowboy Tony!
TV Rating: NONE
Stay tuned for WCCW 10-17-87!
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